By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Don’t be surprised if Taleah McMullen ends up with more training wins than she has driving victories when the talented 22-year-old retires in the way-off-distant-future.
Now that’s a big call considering McMullen has the silken touch in the sulky, having reined 508 winners, three Group Threes, three Listed events, and amassed $3.2 million in stakes in just six-and-a-bit seasons. She’s also placed 1,059 times from her 4,506 race-day starts and is already one of Australasia’s best female drivers.
“Of course, I love driving and winning, but I prefer training. You don’t have to rush with training. It’s a more relaxed lifestyle – not so demanding on time. I love the one-to-one relationships we have with our horses.
“My partner Trent (Lethaby) and I work six horses between us, and then I go and help Dad (John) at Glamorgan Vale. Trent and I bought a house less than 10km away in Fernvale. I’ve never really been interested in training a big team, but I really love training. I like having just a few around, and I think it will always be that way,” the youngest of the four McMullen siblings (Peter, Narissa, Danielle), said.
McMullen’s love of training standardbreds came to the fore at Redcliffe Paceway last Wednesday night (January 17) when she created a personal milestone in races six and nine. It was her first training double. McMullen has driven four in a day previously.
At 7.53pm McMullen saluted the judge with Sals Last Blast, and then at 9.23pm she repeated the dose with Barkway Margaret.
Sals Last Blast, a daughter of Caribbean Blaster, also won easily 13 days earlier on the same track by 9.3 metres. She was the hot $1.40 favourite that day. On Wednesday the 4-year-old bay drew the ace, and led and won as she liked by 3.5 metres – paying a paltry $1.25.
As for Barkway Margaret, she’s an 8-year-old Major Bronski mare, who proved too smart winning by a whopping 25.8 metres as the $1.55 warm favourite. She started from gate four.
“I never really look at dividends or prices. I just know I’ve got a job to do and want to get the best out of the horse for the owners. She paces well. She’s had five starts for us now since we got her in late November and she’s won twice and placed twice,” McMullen said.
Sals Last Blast is owned by her fellow New South Wales concession driving friend, Gemma Coney, and her father, Taminda-based, Greg.
Coney trained her from debut at Tamworth on November 3, 2022, until November 20 last year. All up Sals Last Blast has now won three of her 32 starts and placed in 10 others for $26,611. She set her personal best mile-rate of 1:57.2 at Newcastle on November 6 last year. Last Wednesday she recorded a sedate 2:00.8.
“We got her just as her form was starting to turn around. I’m really grateful to Greg and Gemma for the opportunity to trains this mare. She seems to have taken to the Queensland climate very well,” McMullen said.
The ‘laid back’ horsewoman said Barkway Margaret had 14 starts for her stable since coming north from Murringo (NSW) trainer Garty Hoy, who still owns her. She has won four of them for McMullen and Lethaby – three at Redcliffe Paceway – and all-up has now won five of her 62 starts and placed in four others for $32,740.
“Barkway Margaret has also been good to us. I was really impressed with her win on Wednesday. She won on debut with a 1:56 mile-rate at Albion Park, and has done a good job since. Garth and Robyn have sent me a couple of horses previously, and have been good to me. I am very grateful to them.”
Barkway Margaret was McMullen’s 42nd training success ($259,664) since she took out her licence in 2019-2019. She’s also placed 77 times from her 254 starts and banked $259,664 in purses.
“I’m fortunate that I am the youngest in a family of six, and each and every one of them has passed their own respective knowledge and talents down to me, so I’ve been well-informed – and I’ve tried to take it all in, and act on it,” she said,
Not only does McMullen have five immediate family members to call on plus all of her Dawson cousins, she also has the Kiwi connection in Lethaby.
“We have no plans to go their to live because we have bought a home and this is out future, but it’s always nice to know that we have a close tie with harness racing in New Zealand.
“We have had some New Zealand horses race here, and no doubt we will get more over in the future. As to driving there one day, of course I would love that, but it’s doubtful at this stage of my life. It would be nice though because there are some beautiful tracks over there,” McMullen said.
She said it would take a lot to separate her from her favourite horse, the 8-year-old Majestic Son 12 win- trotter, Scruffy Doolan.
“I just love that horse. He’s definitely the sentimental favourite. I’ve had him since December 2022, and he’s won a couple of races for me and seldom goes a bad race. He’s placed in his last three starts.”
Some of the best horses McMullen has trained in her brief career to date have been (Over $10,00 in stake earnings): Barkway Arnold nine wins and $47,410; Scruffy Doolan two wins and $39,858; Tommy Under Fire five wins and $33,118; Gosling In Flight 10 wins and $32,268; Milly An Eyre one win and $21,560; Scotts Rain two wins and $14,644; Crime Boss three wins and $11,721; and Barkway Margaret three wins and $10,022).
McMullen will have her two Wednesday winners representing her silks (red, black braces, white yoke with black stars, and red sleeves) at Redcliffe this Wednesday night (January 24).
Sals Last Blast will start from gate four in race one at 5.22pm, while Barkway Margaret (8) lines up in race three at 6.20pm.
